Box-car loader.



No. 896,197. PATENTED AUG. 18, 1908. J. M. GHRISTY.

BOX OAR LOADER.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 20, 1907.

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PATENTED AUG.V1'S, 1908.

J. M. OHRISTY. BOX OAR LOADER. APPLICATION FILED MAY 20, 1907.

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J. M. GHRISTY.

BOX GAR LOADER. APPLIOAIION FILED MAY 20, 1907.

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PATENTED AUG. 18, 1908.

JOSEPH M. CHRISTY, OF DES MOINES, IOWA.

BOX-CAR LOADER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 18, 1908.

Application filed May 20, 1907. Serial N 0. 374,704.

T 0 all whom it may concern.

Be, it known'that I, J OSEPH M. OHRIsTY, a c1t1 zen of the United States, residing at Des Mo1nes,,in the county of Polk and State of Iowa, have invented a certain new and useful Box-Car Loader, of which the following 1s a specification.

Heretofore, box car loaders intended for loading coal and other like materials, have been placed upon trucks, mounted upon platforms at the side of a railway track, with the loader mechanism upon the end of the truck, said parts being so arranged that the truck may stand upon its track at the side of the railway track, and the loader mechanism pro ected inside of the car to be loaded. This arrangement requires that a considerable space he provided at the side of the railway track to contain the loader truck and its supporting platform. In many instances, the space atthe side of a railway track is limited, and it is not practicable to use a loader mounted upon a truck of the kind above set forth. I

My object is to provide a box car loader of s mple, durable and inexpensive construct1on, 1n which the loader mechanism is mounted upon a small truck designed to bodily enter a car to be loaded, and in which the motive power for driving the loader mechanism and. also for moving the truck that supports the loader mechanism, is all self-contained upon the truck, and beneath the loader mechanism, so that all the space necessarily provided at the side of a railway track is such space as will contain the loader mechanism itself, it being unnecessary to provlde space for an engine, and a long truck for the loader mechanism.

A further object is to provide a device of this kind in which the loader may be controlled and manipulated by one man, it being understood in this connection that it is always necessary to have a man stationed within the car being loaded, to regulate and control the distribution of coal within the car, and by placing the motor for operating the truck all upon the truck frame, it is obvious that the operator within the car may ma nipulate and control the entire operation of the device, without the necessity of having an'engineer stationed outside of the car be ing loaded.

A further object is. to provide a loader frame containing the loader mechanism, so arranged upon the truck that the operator within the car may quickly and easily adjust the incline of the loader frame, and securely lock it at any desired inclination, and also turn it to any angle desired so that coalmay be distributed within the car at the places desired.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of the device, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 shows a side elevation of the complete box car loader embodying my invention, the dotted lines therein illustrating'the loader frame in a tilted position. Fig. 2 shows a detail sectional View illustrating the base of the loader frame. Fig. 3 shows a central, longitudinal sectional view through the complete machine embodying my invention, taken with the loader frame at right angles to the truck. Fig. 4 shows a sectional view of a box car with my improved loader in position therein, ready for use, part of the conveyer being broken away to show the conveyer driving devices. Fig. 5 shows an edge view of the motor frame used for driving the conveyer, and Fig. 6 shows a top or plan view of the truck with a part of the motor frame broken away to show the bearing balls that support it.

Referring to the accompanyim drawings, I have used the reference numeral 10 to indi cate the truck, having mounted thereon the axles 11, which axles are each provided with two supporting Wheels 12, each having an annular groove therein. The shape of the wheels-is such that they may run upon an ordinary railway rail, or they may run equally well upon the flat floor of the car or platform. On top of the truck frame 10 is a truck platform 13, having arranged thereon a bearing ball race-way 14, in which the bearing balls 15 are mounted. Mounted upon the bearing balls 15 is a circular motor table 16 connected with the plate 13 by the central bolt 17. In this Way the motor table is permitted a freerotary movement relative to the truck. At one end of the truck frame are the bearings 18, in which an electric motor shaft 19 is mounted. An electric motor 20 of ordinary construction, is connected with the shaft 19. This motor 20 is designed to drive the truck by means of a small cog wheel 21 on the shaft 19, in mesh with a larger cog wheel 22, on the adjacent axle 11.

Fixed to the motor table 16 is an electric motor 23, of the ordinary construction, ex.

cept that it is provided on the periphery of its casing with two annular grooves 24. On the shaft of the motor is a sprocket wheel 25.

The loader frame is indicated by the refer.- ence numeral 26, and contains at its ends the shafts 27 and 28, the latter being provided with a sprocket wheel 29, connected by a sprocket chain 30 with the sprocket wheel 25. I preferably provide a chain tightener 31 of the ordinary construction, to engage the chain 30. Mounted on each of the shafts 27 and 28 are two sprocket wheels 32, over which the sprocket chains 33 are passed, and mounted upon the sprocket chains are the cross slats 34, said chains and slats forming a solid conveyer to receive coal. Theupper portion of the conveyer is supported by means of the guide brackets 35, fixed to the frame 26, and the lower portion of the conveyer is supported by the guide brackets 36.

The ends of the slats 34 are designed to rest on these guide brackets. I provide for supporting the loader frame upon the motor 23 as follows:

The reference numeral 37 indicates a loader base which extends transversely of the loader frame 26 at its central portion, and which is provided with two downwardly projecting semi-circular ribs 38, designed to enter the annular grooves 24 in the motor casing. This loader base 37 is firmly fixed to the loader frame, and the entire weight of the loader rests upon the ribs 38. In this way the longitudinal movement of the loader frame relative to the motor casing, is prevented by means of the ribs 38 in the grooves 24. However, a free tilting movement of the loader frame relative to the motor casing is permitted.

I have provided for locking the loader frame relative to the motor casing in any position of its movement relative to the motor casing as follows: Fixed to a part of the base 37 are two flexible metal bands 39, which extend under the motor in the annular grooves 24, and have screw threaded extensions 40. Fixed to the other side of the loader base 37 are two screw threaded ribs 41, the threads thereon being arranged oppositely from the threads on the threaded portions 40, and two turn buckles 42 are placed on these screw threaded portions, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 4, for the purpose of tightening or loosening the bands 39. By this arrangement, it is obvious that when the operator desires to tilt the loader frame, it is only necessary to turn both of the turn buckles 42 enough to loosen the bands 39, then he may, by grasping either end of the loader frame, raise or lower it to the desired angle, and then by again tightening the turn buckles 42, the loader frame is firmly and immovably held at the angle at which it was placed.

In practical use, it is obvious that the en tire truck for supporting the loader frame can be made of substantially the same size as the loader itself, and therefore, no more room at the side of the railway track need be provided than is necessary to actually hold the loader frame. I preferably provide a platform beside the railway track, at about the level of the car floors, upon which the loader truck and frame rests when not in use. The car to be loaded is run to position opposite the platform, and the chute for supplying the coal or other material to be loaded is extended into the car, then the loader frame, being in posi breaking the coal or the car, such as might be done if the coal is thrown upon the bare floor of the car from a great height. After the floor of the car is filled, then the inclination of the loader may be changed, from time to time to distribute the load properly throughout thecar. The operator who controls the inclination of the loader frame is stationed within the car, and may control both of the motors, so that the entire control of the machine is in the hands of an operator stationed within the car, who may observe the conditions of the coal, and regulate the machine quickly as required for eflective use.

I do not desire to be understood as limiting myself to the use of electricity as the mo tive power for operating the loader or truck, as I contemplate using any other motive power that may be desirable.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, therefor, is

1. In a car loader, the combination of a truck, a motor rotatably mounted upon the truck, a loader frame supported upon the motor and arranged for rotation with the motor, a conveyer in the loader frame, and means for operating the conveyer by power from the motor.

2. In a car loader, the combination of a motor in any position of its movement, a conveyer in the loaderframe, and means for driving the conveyer from the motor.

4. In a car loader, the combination of a truck, a motor rotatably mounted upon the truck, a loader frame tiltingly mounted on the motor, a conveyer within the loader frame, and means for driving the conveyer from the motor.

5. In a car loader, the combination of a truck, a motor having two annular grooves formed in its casing, a loader frame having ribs thereon resting in the tops of said grooves, bands secured to the loader frame and extended under thefmotor in said grooves, and means for adjusting said bands.

6. In a car loader, the combination of a truck, a rotatable platform upon the truck, a motor fixed to said platform, and having two annular grooves in its casing, a loader frame having two ribs thereon inserted in the tops of said annular grooves, two bands fixed to the loader frame and passed under the motor casing in said grooves, means for adjusting said bands, a conveyer in the loader frame and means for operating said conveyer by power from the motor.

7. In a car loader, the combination of a truck, a rotatable platform upon the truck, a

motor fixed to said platform, and having two annular grooves in its casing, a loader frame having two ribs thereon inserted in the tops of said annular grooves, two bands fixed to the loader frame and passed under the motor casing in said grooves, means for adjusting said bands, a conveyer in the loader frame, guides on the loader frame to engage the end portions of the conveyer, and elevate it above the end portions of the conveyer, to thereby raise it above the motor casing.

8. A car loader comprising a truck, a motor mounted upon one end of the truck, means for driving the truck from said motor, a table rotatably mounted upon the truck, a motor fixed to said table, a loader frame tiltingly mounted upon the rotatable motor, a conveyer carried by the loaderframe, means for driving the conveyer from the rotatable motor, said part so arranged that when the loader is arranged longitudinally of the truck, both motors will .be contained wholly beneath the loader frame.

Des Moines, Iowa, May 10, 1907.

JOSEPH M. CHRISTY.

Witnesses:

M. L. JoHNsoN, RALPH ORWIG. 

